


paradise resort

by saddermachine



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Developing Relationship, Falling In Love, Fluff, Holiday Resorts, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Some Rich People Hating Because I Can, Summer, Victorian Flower Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-10 19:23:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13508169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saddermachine/pseuds/saddermachine
Summary: the staff policy at paradise resort is to hate the guests. they're easy to hate, snobby, entitled, filthy rich and general dirtbags. the staff policy makes total sense.donghyuck works at the resort due to his uncle (owner of paradise resorts) giving him the job as a favor.but one summer a guest shows up that donghyuck finds himself annoyingly incapable of completely hating.





	paradise resort

**Author's Note:**

> what? lisa trying to write something under 10k? about summer? in february? wow. never heard that song before. (also thank u nini for going over this for me, ily and i owe you my life)

_Paradise Resorts_ is as Donghyuck always so eloquently puts it a “demon infested shithole”. Not in the literal sense of course, but figuratively.

In the literal sense, it's a very nice looking place. White and pale yellow buildings that gleam in the hot summer sun, patios with pink tiles and gilded balconies everywhere. The grass is green to the point where it looks suspiciously fake and all the different shrubs, trees, and flower beds are never not full and blooming.

In the literal sense, it really is a paradise and also very much still a resort.

Gravel courtyards, gardens, spas, tennis courts, mini golf courses, swimming pools where the water glitters invitingly even though the sea is only a (very convenient) ten-minute walk away.

Even the cheaper rooms look like they’d been designed by some lavish and decidedly camp interior designer. Cremes and yellows and pale blues. Silk sheets, Egyptian cotton, and nice fluffy towels. _Paradise Resorts_ has all.

Donghyuck hates it.

But anyone would too if it is what you grew up around but were never actually allowed to have.

You’d think being the nephew of the owner of the entire _Paradise Resorts_ chain, a conglomerate of equally beautiful, money-grabbing hotels, would have its perks. Having your own lavishly furnished room with a lovely view of the sea for example. Or a free golf cart. Anything really.

But no. Donghyuck didn't have these things. In fact, instead of wishing for these things anymore he resents anyone who has them.

And the people who come to these resorts, this resort, in particular, are way too easy to resent and downright hate. It has become a bit of a sport really.

Bankers and their families, corporates with too much money to spend and too young women on their arms. Rich old widows who leer at the pool boys and the spoiled offspring of the top 1%.

They are easy to hate.

There are of course also those guests who are a little less well-off but still annoying and entitled enough to earn the chagrin of most of the employees.

Donghyuck isn’t even an employee- not really at least. He is the nephew and working at the resort is his summer job, which he only got (his uncle likes to remind him) because they are family, not because Donghyuck is in anyway the perfect resort employee because he isn’t.

Being the nephew of the Boss Man means that he has to work extra hard to earn the others respect. He’d first been “employed” when he was fourteen, which is kind of illegal but his mother took all the money he earned and put it into the college fund she still very optimistically keeps filling up.

Earning respect amongst the resort staff basically means fucking with the guests in such a way that they get annoyed but can't actually sue. It's an extremely delicate craft which Donghyuck has perfected over many years of hard work, dedication, and sheer boredom.

He isn’t even strictly a staff member. Yeah, he's got the meager perks of being one but he never officially applied or was assigned a job; he just sort of...floats around until someone finds something for him to do that no one else wants. He is the reluctant jack-of-all-trades.

 

\--

 

"Y'know, I wonder how many olives I can eat before I physically throw up," Donghyuck wonders aloud, regarding the green slimy olive in his hand with acute interest. The jar on the counter next to him is half full. Or half empty depending on how you think.

"Give that back, you pig," Dongwoo swipes the jar out of Donghyuck’s reach.

Dongwoo, head chef in the making and general wet blanket, isn’t Donghyuck’s first choice for company but he is the only one not busy enough to shoo Donghyuck away.

Donghyuck snorts and pops the olive into his mouth, relishing in the gross squelching sound that makes Dongwoo flinch.

"What bit you in the ass this morning?" He asks, swallowing loudly and earning himself another disgusted glare.

"None of your business."

Donghyuck hops off the counter and starts following Dongwoo around the spacious kitchen. “Aw, c’mon, you can tell me.”

"Go bother someone else!"

"Everyone else is busy with something."

"And I’m not?" Dongwoo turns on his heel and Donghyuck who was deliberately following close behind takes a precautionary step back.

" _Less_ busy, definitely."

"Listen here, pipsqueak, I got three hours of sleep last night preparing everything for today. The delivery man charged me extra simply because I wasn’t Mr. Kwon and he thought I was some kind of imposter even though I’ve worked here for three fucking years. Sihyun is currently trying to sober up in the freezer room and Jessica is nowhere to be found- so if you don’t suddenly have the basic training for an assistant chef then I have no use for you."

Donghyuck whistles low between his teeth and holds up his hands in surrender. "You should’ve just said something, dude."

Dongwoo splutters angrily but Donghyuck is already skipping towards the door, the rubber soles of his tennis shoes squeaking loudly against the tiled floor.

 

"Big day, huh?" Donghyuck asks, peering over the big, gilded desk in the foyer with undisguised glee.

Joohyun gives him a long hard stare before saying, "Do you want to die?"

Donghyuck smoothly retracts himself from the desk and shrugs. "Not in particular."

"Then get lost. Don’t you have anything to do?"

"Nope," he says cheerily.

" _How_? Literally everyone is in full on panic mode. Guests are arriving in less than half an hour and the fountain outside is still all...fucky and here you are being all unemployed."

Donghyuck sighs dramatically. "Y'know I wish I had something to do."

Her eyes flash and she leans forward. "Wanna trade?" She asks.

Donghyuck backs a full three steps away and says, "Oh no, no. No, this is your...forté. I don’t want to- intrude or whatever."

"You are a devil, Lee Donghyuck," she mutters loudly, clearly with the intention of him hearing and he laughs.

He's just about to wander back out into the courtyard when she calls after him, her voice softer and a little kinder than before, "Hey, are you okay, though?"

Donghyuck blinks and turns. The bright sunny morning light framing him in the huge, double-doored entrance like something out of a movie.

"Yeah," he replies, "yeah, I’m okay. Why shouldn’t I be?"

She rolls her eyes. "Oh, don’t pret-"

"Joohyun!"

Joohyun scrambles out of her chair behind the desk, adjusting her blouse and hair as Mr. Song comes marching down the left main staircase (there are two, one that leads into the left wing of the resort and the right one which gives access to the right wing, which has a better view of the sea). Donghyuck conveniently flattens himself against the doorframe, out of sight.  

"Mr. Song," she says, bowing her head hastily.

"I hope all reservations are in order." It isn’t a question and she nods, her fringe smartly hiding the brief look of annoyance in her eyes

"Wouldn’t hurt to double check," he says, an order veiled by a thick layer of false sweetness. Donghyuck shivers sympathetically and hurries off, somewhat reluctantly leaving Joohyun to her fate.

 

It's opening day, the holiday season is officially starting and the first guests are due to arrive way too soon. The courtyard outside the main building is a bustle of activity and Donghyuck inconspicuously manages to weave through it.

He takes a right down an elegant gravel path framed by rose arches and birches down to the swimming pools. Waiters and other assorted staff are bustling through the mazes of sun loungers, garden tables and pools. The water is the kind of blue that makes your skin itch, a shade brighter than the sky and a tad bluer than the sea.

Out here with only the protection from the sun coming from parasols and a few lonesome trees, there isn't much shade to hide under and Donghyuck doesn't envy the waiters in their white cotton shirts and cherry red waistcoats. It's only 9.30AM but the sun hangs high in the sky, and even Donghyuck, dressed in denim shorts and the most neutral T-shirt he owns, is feeling the heat on the back of his neck and arms.

He finds who he is looking for, at the outside bar by the stone steps leading further down to the beach.

Sooyoung, one of the lifeguards of the resort, is leaning against the bar with a bottle of what looks like ginger ale in one hand and an obnoxiously bright red clipboard in the other. She swears quietly when she sees Donghyuck approaching.

"What do you want?" She sounds tired and stressed and Donghyuck pouts in mock sympathy.

"Are you busy?" He asks, flopping against the bar next to her.

She glares. " _Obviously_."

Donghyuck groans dramatically. "I'm _bored_ ," he whines.

"Don't you have anything to do? At all?"

He squints at her for a couple of moments before shrugging. "Not really."

She sighs, "Well, go be bored somewhere else, I really don't have the time."

"I hope someone drowns in your pool," Donghyuck mutters darkly and stomps off to find someone else to bother.

"You don't say stuff like that!" Sooyoung calls after him and he shouts, "Whatever!"

 

He eventually finds something to do with the valet parking crew who hang out at the end of the big gravel drive that bleeds into the courtyard and the rest of the resort. They also have to wear ugly waistcoats and shirts, but unlike the swimming pool staff, they have trees lining the driveway keeping them at least partially out of the full glare of the sun. They also have a little stand with a parasol, a mini fridge, and a tip jar.

Donghyuck was shooed here after he annoyed Doyoung (waiter at the resort restaurant) into physically dragging him outside by the ear.

It's just him, Jeno and Jaemin and a new kid Donghyuck doesn't know. A wider gravel path branches out beside them, leading off to an exclusive parking lot. The courtyard directly in front of them is still bustling with last-minute activity.

Jeno and Jaemin are sitting on the grass, flicking water bottle caps at each other while the other kid (Minsoo? Frank? Donghyuck isn't really sure) stands to attention at the side of their little cart, gaze stubbornly trained straight ahead and a disdainful frown pulling at the corners of his mouth.

It's ten minutes before the first guests are due to arrive and Donghyuck is pretty sure the new kid is about to shit himself. He says so and the kid tells him to "shut up and at least _try_ and be professional". Jaemin laughs very loudly and Jeno flicks a water bottle cap at the boy's ankles.

"You do realize that you only have to pretend to be nice to these people, right?" Jaemin says after a couple of minutes passed.

The boy shoots them all a glare out of the corner of his eye and doesn't reply.

"Also this isn't the military, you can stand normally," Donghyuck adds snidely.

"I'm not going to be disrespectful to these people," the boy says, scandalized, finally turning to look at them down on the grass, "they're important people and being nice to them can influence your future."

Jeno laughs loudly, "Where'd you get that from?"

The boy straightens indignantly. "There's a _rule book_ for employees," he hisses, "this is a distinguished establishment."

"Eh," Donghyuck shrugs, "less distinguished now, we don't get the top 1% anymore-- they've all moved on to Dubai and Mexico."

Distantly they hear the growling engine of a high-end car and reluctantly they start getting to their feet, brushing the grass and dirt off their hands and legs. The boy with the stick up his ass stands to attention again and Donghyuck snorts. Jeno shoots off a quick text confirming the arrival of the first guests before positioning himself elegantly on the far side of the cart.  

Two older employees come hurrying out of a side door of the main building, already sweating in their red suit jackets and ridiculous trousers. Carrying overpriced luggage up to overpriced rooms is a really shitty job.

Donghyuck stays back a little, he can't drive so his presence isn't actually necessary but it's better than sitting in the hot sun or being shoved off into dishwashing duty.

"Uh, a Porsche," Jaemin mutters under his breath, "I bet it's Mr. Kalegros and his wife."

It is. He greets them with a jovial shout and an inappropriate wink for one of the footmen when he drags a heavy Louis Vitton sports bag out of the cramped backseat of the car. His wife looks on impassively until the other staff member takes her by the arm and leads her across the courtyard towards the main entrance. She wobbles gracelessly in her heels as the gravel crunches beneath her.

Jeno takes the car and drives off to the exclusive guest parking lot.

"He's here to cheat on his wife," Jaemin says wisely once the old man is out of sight.

The kid gasps and rounds on him. "How can you _say_ that?"

Jaemin gives him a long, pitying stare before answering slowly, "Because I _know_ so. We all do. He knows that we know, his wife probably knows too. This shithole is like a big weird therapist office, minus the therapy but with the fact that we know their shit. There's, like, a weird agreement that it never leaves the grounds of this resort, like in therapy."

"That's despicable," the kid snaps.

"We're all pretty sure that at least a quarter of the guests here are affiliated with the mob, so I don't think knowing their dirty little secrets really counts as despicable," Donghyuck pipes up.

That shakes the kid a little bit but after collecting himself he says, "I will never take part in gossip like that."

Jaemin snorts, "Yes you will. It's what makes this place interesting."

 

Jeno returns shortly after Jaemin drives off in a Land Rover.

"How's the new kid doing?" He asks, plopping down on the grass next to Donghyuck. He smells like luxury car leather and peppermint and it makes Donghyuck's head swim.

"He almost cried when he sat in Ms. Carvillia's Benz," Donghyuck replies, grinning gleefully.

 

Donghyuck is leaning against the cart juggling two empty water bottles when the 8th car rolls to a stop in front of them. Jaemin and the other two staff members hurry forward to help with the luggage.

The car and the couple in the front seat are unfamiliar and Donghyuck watches them with mild interest. They look like any other well-off middle-aged couple.

Then the car door to the backseat swings open and Donghyuck looks up and locks eyes with a tall, _objectively_ good-looking boy, who catches him staring and grins.

Donghyuck's stomach churns.

 

\--

 

It's later in the day and the real clientele of the resort are starting to arrive. The locals.

The resort isn't exclusive to rich people, of course, it's marketed that way but a huge chunk of the resort's revenue actually comes from the locals that can spend a couple of hours or a whole day at the resort at a lower, day cost. Also if a family member works at the resort then the rest of the family automatically gets a discount, a clever ploy to get cheap workers to keep working at the resort.

Donghyuck is sitting on a bench in the gardens behind the main building, enjoying the warm afternoon sunlight, an ice lolly and a particularly amusing thread on Twitter.

It all gets blown to pieces when he hears someone clear their throat behind him.

He turns, unsure of who the voice belongs to.

"It _is_ you from before, oh thank God, I thought I'd gotten the wrong person."

The tall, _objectively_ good-looking boy from earlier is grinning down at Donghyuck in obvious amusement. His hair is swooped back from his forehead in that obnoxious, rich boy way and he's wearing a rumpled Led Zeppelin T-shirt (he probably doesn't even listen to them) and a pair of ripped denim shorts that probably cost more than Donghyuck makes in one year.

Donghyuck glares.

The boy's grin doesn't waver and he comes a little closer, sheepishly stuffing his hands in his pockets. "It is you, right?"

"Do I know you?" Donghyuck replies icily and turns away again. The ice lolly is melting down his fingers and wrist, leaving several pink, strawberry flavored trails behind.

Uninvited, the stranger plops down beside Donghyuck, long legs stretching out in front of him. "Yeah!" He says, still grinning. "You saw me this morning when we arrived."

Donghyuck pretends to think for three, incredibly uncomfortable minutes before saying, "There are a lot of guests, you didn't stand out. Sorry."

His smile still doesn't waver and Donghyuck feels a twinge of annoyance.

"I'm Yukhei," Yukhei says, holding out his hand.

Donghyuck stares at it. "Good for you," he answers coldly.

"What's your name?" Yukhei persists and Donghyuck lets his annoyance be known in a long, aggressive sigh.

"Can't you tell that I obviously don't want to talk to you?" He snaps.

Yukhei's grin slips a little and a look of vague confusion replaces the blatant and annoying confidence. Apparently, Donghyuck is the first person ever to tell him to get lost.

"Just your name. Please? I'll leave you alone if you tell me," he says, eyelids drooping pleadingly.

"Are you blackmailing me?"

He blinks. "No? No, I don't...think so? I just want to know your name."

Under the annoyance and general loathing, that Donghyuck feels for this almost-stranger-named-Yukhei he has the slight inkling that this could be interesting. To test this he puts the steadily melting ice lolly to his lips and takes an absent-minded lick, pretending to mull things over in his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Yukhei's gaze distractedly tracking the movement.

_This is going to be fun._

"You'll have to try a bit harder than that," he says, consciously tilting his tone onto the teasing side.

Yukhei's face lights up and Donghyuck can feel the angel on his left shoulder burst into tears.

 

\--

 

Donghyuck regrets his idea of making Yukhei work for his name. Not because he realizes how much of a shitty thing it is to do, but because Yukhei's first plan of attack is flattery. Flattery is something Donghyuck is not opposed to, but this is the material kind of flattery and Donghyuck is not about to be bought.

The day after their confrontation, Renjun (the scariest pool boy Donghyuck has the fortune of knowing) finds Donghyuck mopping the floor in the men's changing rooms by the tennis courts and spa.

"Uhm," he says loudly and Donghyuck turns and takes out his headphones, "I have these for you?" He holds out a raggedy bunch of handpicked flowers. Half of them are weeds probably picked from the paths down to the beach and the other half had clearly been stolen from the gardens here.

"What the fuck," he says intelligently, dropping the mop to take the flowers.

"This tall dude ambushed me just now and asked me to give these to the guy who was a valet yesterday. He also mentioned tanned skin and obnoxious hair so I immediately knew it was you."

"He said I have obnoxious hair?" Donghyuck asks, looking up with fire in his eyes.

Renjun gives him a long, bored stare before saying, "No, _I_ said you have obnoxious hair. He said it was curly, which is pushing it a bit."

"My hair _is_ curly," Donghyuck protests.

"Your hair is occasionally wavey. It's only curly when you spend two days on the beach."

Donghyuck waves him off. "Technicalities," he mutters.

"Whatever. It's just hair why do you care so much?" The bored lilt in Renjun's voice takes on a decidedly curious edge and Donghyuck goes into defensive mode.

"I don't," he says shortly.

Another long, uncomfortable stare and then Renjun shrugs. "Your problem not mine."

"There is no problem."

Renjun's mouth pulls up into a smile. "Sure," he hums and turns to leave.

 

He finds Yukhei by the pool, stretched out on a sun lounger ( _shirtless_ , his brain points out helpfully) with a glass of orange juice, headphones and a book. He doesn't see Donghyuck approaching so Donghyuck takes a few extra seconds to squint at the book cover. It's a murder mystery. Despicable.

"Hey," he kicks one of the legs of the sun lounger and Yukhei jumps.

He fumbles the headphones off his ears and grins, bright as anything and Donghyuck scowls.

"It's you," he says cheerfully and Donghyuck continues to scowl.

"No more flowers," he says, dumping the sad bouquet in Yukhei's lap.

Yukhei blinks, confused. "What? Why?"

Donghyuck sighs loudly and crosses his arms. " _Because_ ," he says, "half of these are weeds and the other half are stolen from the gardens here."

"Oh," Yukhei's mouth dips down into a frown, "I didn't know."

"Didn't know what? That those are weeds or that you're not supposed to pick flowers from gardens that aren't yours?"

Yukhei shrugs. "I didn't know about the weeds, I just thought they looked pretty. And with the garden flowers I thought no one would notice or care, I mean there are so many flowers I didn't think it would matter. Also, my mom always said a handmade gift is more meaningful and heartfelt than something bought. But yeah, I'll do my research next time."

"No research. We're not even friends, dude," Donghyuck points out. "We're practically strangers."

Yukhei smiles again, blinking up at Donghyuck unabashedly. "Well, not to be upfront, but I don't want to be friends. The strangers bit is inconvenient but I'll try and figure it out."

Donghyuck is lost for words for exactly six and a half seconds. "Try harder then," he says, grabbing the flowers back out of Yukhei's lap and marching off.

He isn't sure if he won that round. It certainly doesn't feel like it.

 

"I have a delivery for a, uh, Donghyuck Lee? Is he here?"

Donghyuck, who is hiding from responsibilities in the staff break room, peels himself out of the gross vinyl sofa. Jeno is sitting by the window nursing a bottle of Sprite with Doyoung and the new addition to the Pretty Boy Waiters Line Up who is also generally known as Jungwoo. They all look up when the delivery man knocks on the open door.

Donghyuck edges around the bucket that catches the water from the aircon and says, "Yeah that's me. What is it?"

"Flower delivery," the delivery man replies, holding out a very professional-looking bouquet of yellow tulips tied together with a white ribbon.

The room goes very quiet.

Donghyuck curses under his breath. Did this guy not listen when Donghyuck explicitly said "no more flowers"? From anyone else, a gesture like this would've been sweet, and technically it still is, but they are strangers and Donghyuck has the staff policy to uphold.

Also, he didn't actually think Yukhei would be this persistent. It's been less than a day and he'd already gotten two bouquets of varying quality and Donghyuck couldn't help the little stutter his heart did when he really let himself think about that.

He could always call it off, tell Yukhei his name and give him the cold shoulder for the rest of the summer, but Donghyuck is too proud to cave like that. And also, somewhere deep down he is enjoying this. Yukhei is some dumb, rich kid who wants some summer fun and Donghyuck is gonna string him along for as long as he can.

"Thank you," he says, graciously accepting the bouquet while the other three continue to sit in stunned silence.

After he signs and the delivery man leaves Doyoung clears his throat, loudly. "What the fuck?" He says, eyes zeroing in on the pristine, yellow flowers in Donghyuck's hand.

"It's nothing," Donghyuck replies smoothly.

"Who the fuck is sending _you_ flowers?"

"An admirer," Jeno sing-songs and Donghyuck shoots him a glare.

"There's this guy," he begins to explain before Jeno can hijack his story.

"A guest?" Doyoung interrupts.

Donghyuck rolls his eyes. "Yes, a guest."

"But--" Doyoung begins to say but Donghyuck cuts him off, "I'm gonna fuck with him. He obviously just wants a summer thing and then be the big playboy and leave the poor local boy with a broken heart, I know this spiel I've seen it a million times. _Anyway_. I'm not gonna let him do that. I'm gonna lead him on and waste his summer away."

He waits triumphantly for any protests.

"Wait, wait. So, you're scared of getting lead on so you're leading him on instead?" Jeno asks.

Donghyuck's triumph fades a little but he nods.

Jeno hums thoughtfully. "That's very Marina and the Diamonds-y of you," he concedes, reluctantly impressed.

"I know!" Donghyuck laughs, hugging the flowers a little closer to his chest.

"Wait which guy is this?" Jungwoo says, eyeing the flowers with something akin to suspicion.

"Uh," Donghyuck pretends to have to remember the name, "Yukhei, I don't know his surname."

Jungwoo's eyes widen. "The tall, good-looking one with big eyes?"

"Objectively good-looking," Donghyuck corrects. "But yeah."

"He's super nice," Jungwoo says, leaning back in his chair, "I mean, like, _super_ nice. He had three banana splits."

"Just because he's nice doesn't mean he's actually _nice_ ," Donghyuck argues lamely. Jungwoo looks pained.

"Dude, people don't send flowers because they want a summer fling," Jeno points out.

"Rich people do."

"No," Doyoung says, "rich people throw money in your face if they want you to sleep with them. Not flowers."

Donghyuck glowers at them. "You're not being particularly helpful," he snaps.

"We weren't trying to be," Doyoung replies flatly.

"Look," Jungwoo tries in a kinder tone, "we're just posing the possibility that this Yukhei person might actually like you. _Like_ like you."

Donghyuck makes a dismissive noise. "I guess we'll see," he grumbles and stalks out of the room.

 

"Flowers? Again? Really?"

He finds Yukhei right where he'd last seen him, stretched out on a sun lounger. He'd clearly just been for a swim because his hair is dripping and so his is naked chest and torso. It takes every last bit of Donghyuck's energy and pride not to stare.

"I did my research," Yukhei says, a tad defensively.

"Res-- that's not my _point_."

Yukhei's expression turn sheepish and he runs a hand through his sopping wet hair. "I thought you'd like them, that's all. I did research."

Donghyuck stomps his foot. " _Research_? On me? I don't understand, you don't even know my name that's the whole point of--"

"Not on you!" Yukhei hastens to clarify. "On flowers. I wanted to do it right, please don't throw these away."

Donghyuck wants to be angry. He is angry. Probably. Maybe. But it's not the easy kind of anger he can usually dredge up for especially annoying guests, it takes actual effort to be angry at Yukhei especially in this situation and Donghyuck doesn't know how to digest this knowledge.

"What is there to research about flowers?" He asks, his tone making him sound meaner than intended.

"You'd be surprised," Yukhei smiles. "But I picked yellow tulips out for a reason."

Donghyuck cocks one eyebrow. "Wanna tell me that reason?"

Yukhei hums, eyes bright. "Nah," he replies easily and Donghyuck can feel his blood start to boil.

"Oh, how _clever_ ," he mutters sharply but Yukhei doesn't even blink.

"Do you like them?" The question jerks Donghyuck back out of his angry inner monologue and the sincerity behind it makes his heart waver in its anger.

"They're," he tries to find the right word that conveys _yes they're lovely but I still hate you_ , his mind turns up empty-handed, "pretty," he finishes lamely. "I like yellow," he adds, feeling weirdly guilty about his lacklustre response.

Yukhei's grin could've blinded the sun and Donghyuck feels like he definitely isn't equipped to deal with this right now.

"I'm happy you like them," Yukhei says with frightening sincerity.

"Yeah, well," Donghyuck flounders, "thanks, I guess."

"And your name?"

Donghyuck likes to think he's torn between ending this weird game (which he feels like he's losing for some reason) once and for all or to keep this up, whatever this was. He was in touch enough with himself to admit that it was thrilling in a weird, guilty kind of way. Yukhei was undeniably hot and interested, ulterior motives or not and Donghyuck was willing and intrigued enough to want to keep this up.

"Not quite yet," he says slyly, stepping out of the shade of the parasol back into the hot sunlight.

"I'll keep sending you flowers," Yukhei warns, tone light and teasing.

Donghyuck shrugs, unaffected. "Do what you want," he sings before double taking and adding, "nothing expensive though. I will not be bought and guilt-tripped into giving you my name."

"Got it."

Donghyuck blinks, surprised, but recovers quickly. "Fine. Cool. Whatever, see you whenever," he says off-handedly and flounces off.

On his way back up to the resort, he digs out his phone and googles the meaning of yellow tulips, Yukhei's cryptic answers still swirling around in his head.

"Oh, fuck _off_ ," he curses loudly after clicking on the first link he's presented with. An old lady passing him on the steps shoots him a disgusted look.

_Yellow Tulips, the flowers of hopeless love._

 

\--

 

"It's been less than a _day_ and he gives me flowers like that! Like, what the fuck? What the fuck am I supposed to do? What the _fuck_ , Renjun?"

They're standing in the staff parking lot, locking their bikes up for the day. It's almost 7AM and Donghyuck has a headache.

Renjun looks like he had the worst nights rest but still, he manages to drag up some form of interest for Donghyuck's problems. "Look," he says, "either he's just super dramatic or smitten as fuck. I don't know. From what you've told me it could honestly be both."

"But what am I supposed to do?" Donghyuck pleads as they climb over the bike stands and onto the path leading to the staff entrance.

"Is it bothering you? Like, is it making you uncomfortable?" Renjun stops and Donghyuck does too, a little startled. Renjun sounds dead serious.

"I--" Donghyuck stutters, "I don't-- no, no it's not...bothering me exactly. It's not making uncomfortable either it's just-- if he's actually just nice and sweet then that would make me the asshole in this situation."

Renjun cocks his head and says, "That only just dawned on you?"

Donghyuck ignores him and continues, "It's just-- if he's actually being nice-- what do I do?"

"Why are so fixated on the idea that he _isn't_ nice?"

"He's a guest!" Donghyuck protests. "They're not typically known for being nice to the staff."

Renjun starts walking again and Donghyuck falls into step beside him. "Doesn't mean that there can't be exceptions," he points out sagely.

"Yeah, sure, but what are the odds of someone being horribly attractive _and_ nice?"

Renjun's eyes flash cleverly. "So you _do_ think he's hot?"

Donghyuck splutters, " _Objectively_."

Renjun sighs and scratches the back of his neck before straightening and fixing Donghyuck with a hard stare. "Okay, okay-- how about. How about we see how today goes, we'll try and interact with him to see if he's actually nice and you get your head out of your ass and put on a nice front as well. How about that?"

Donghyuck makes a noncommittal sound.

"Just spend some time with him. Maybe he's not so bad."

"Fine," Donghyuck snaps and Renjun gives him a patronizing pat on the head.

 

\--

 

A week passes by easily and Donghyuck finds his resolve to be horrid to Yukhei is built on very loose foundations.

Because Yukhei is nice. He's bright and loud and funny and the brief times Donghyuck finds himself stuck with him are a whirlwind of exclamations, hand gestures, fast-paced conversation and more long (longing?) stares than Donghyuck feels capable of dealing with.

The devil on Donghyuck's shoulder tells him to feel threatened and he does, occasionally. Because on first glance, they're similar almost to a fault; bright, loud personalities and an abundance of energy. But where Donghyuck is snarky and sarcastic Yukhei is sincere and sweet, where Donghyuck is sensitive and evasive Yukhei is blunt and to the point, almost to a fault. Clashing personalities on first glance that, when you look closer, are actually quite well balanced.

But Donghyuck still isn't completely swayed by Yukhei's abundant charms. Doubt still nags at the back of his mind.

His friends and co-workers assure him he's nice. Doyoung says he tips well but doesn't seem smug about it. Jungwoo insists that someone who eats a well is a keeper (" _Your mom would love him," Doyoung agrees_ ). Jeno finds out that he likes anime and animated films and series in general and Donghyuck honestly can't tell if that's a positive or not.

By the third day, Yukhei brings the flowers himself.

A bouquet of white hyacinths on the second day. A sprig of lilac on the third, a bouquet of pink primroses on the fourth and so on.

By Sunday Donghyuck's spent so much time looking up the meanings of flowers, he's becoming quite adept himself.

He cycles home every day now, with flowers in his front basket and Donghyuck would be a liar if he said it didn't feel nice. His mother doesn't mention the flowers, just rolls her eyes and helps him look for a something vaguely vase-like (they ran out of actual vases on the third day). The kitchen table, the windowsills and Donghyuck's bedside table all have their own bouquet.

Donghyuck keeps the primroses by his bed.

 

\--

 

Donghyuck is sitting on a bench next to one of the tennis courts, watching Jeno destroy Renjun at badminton. It's late, but some remaining sunlight is still clinging to the sky turning it a light aquiline blue that fades into a darker blue the further away the sky spreads from the horizon.

There's a party going on by the pools on the other side of the resort, one of the resort's most loyal patrons is turning 78 and the Mr. Song thought it would be a brilliant idea to celebrate. Most of the guests and staff are there, but since Jeno and Renjun's shifts are already over and Donghyuck doesn't officially have any shifts they spend their time here.

Donghyuck is picking apart a peach Renjun managed to steal from the party while Jeno and Renjun yell good-natured curses at each other. The air is still warm from the day and Donghyuck presses the soles of his bare feet against the warm concrete. Distantly a brass band plays.

"Donghyuck," a voice calls from the court a couple of steps above theirs.

Donghyuck turns, surprised. "Hello?" He calls. The light on their court only goes so far and anything beyond the bench he's sitting on is shrouded in darkness.

A tall, lanky figure detaches itself from the shadows and waves. Donghyuck would recognize those freakishly large hands anywhere.

"Uhm," he says and turns to the other two who are still immersed in their game, "I'm gonna go for a second, guys."

They nod distractedly and Donghyuck climbs over the bench and heads for the stairs. His feet pad softly across the grass and concrete.

"What the hell?" He hisses once he's reached Yukhei.

"I know your name," Yukhei chirps excitedly and Donghyuck rolls his eyes.

" _Obviously_. How? I never told you."

Yukhei shrugs, a little guiltily perhaps. "Well there was a loophole-- actually there were several-- either way, I don't mind giving you flowers, like, I really don't mind. You don't throw them away right?"

"Why would I throw them away?" Donghyuck asks, unconsciously softening his tone a little.

Yukhei's shoulders slump, "I don't know, you don't seem to like me very much, so I just thought-- I don't know."

Guilt crawls up the back of Donghyuck's spine and the angel on his right shoulder kicks him in the neck. "I like you," he says, hesitatingly. "I don't throw the flowers away."

Yukhei's expression smooths out again and he's back to his obnoxiously charming self, Donghyuck can feel a smile tugging at his lips. He doesn't fight it for once.

"Anyway there was a loophole and because I thought you'd never tell me your name I thought I might as well just get it the sneakier way."

"And what was that?"

"Your friend, uh, Jaemin I think, told me your name for $20."

"Only _twenty dollars_?" Donghyuck gasps.

Yukhei takes a precautionary step back. "In my defense, I only had that much on me and I'm pretty sure he would've sold you out for less."

"I'm gonna kill him--"

"I brought you flowers though," Yukhei cuts in.

Donghyuck blinks. "I'm gonna kill him tomorrow," he rephrases and Yukhei let's out a relieved sigh.

He carefully presents him with a raggedy bouquet of bright red flowers held together by another white ribbon. Donghyuck takes them and a blush rises up in his cheeks without asking when their hands brush.

He squints down at the flowers. "A-austrian roses?" He tries haltingly.

Yukhei beams, "Thou art all that is lovely."

" _Okay_ , cowboy, comin' on a little strong there," Donghyuck coughs, hoping against hope that the dark is hiding the color in his cheeks. Yukhei just keeps grinning, he clearly knows Donghyuck is blushing. Donghyuck wants to explode.

"Do you wanna, like, hang out?" Yukhei asks. The question comes out a little stilted and he presses his lips together as if he's expecting Donghyuck to turn him down.

Donghyuck turns to look back down at the tennis court. The rackets lie abandoned and Renjun has Jeno in a chokehold.

"Sure," he smiles and he can practically feel the tension bleeding out of Yukhei's shoulders.

He easily wraps one long arm around Donghyuck's shoulders and guides him around the tennis court to another flight of steps. His grip is loose enough for Donghyuck to shake him off easily if he wanted, but he doesn't. His fingers brush the warm skin of Donghyuck's arm and they both shiver.

"I'm guessing you don't want to go to the party?" Yukhei observes as Donghyuck's steps get progressively slower the closer they get to the noise and light.

Donghyuck shrugs and Yukhei's fingers brush his arm more firmly. "I've had a long day," he explains, "but I like this," Donghyuck gestures vaguely at their surroundings, "it's quiet."

"Oh! Oh!" Yukhei exclaims excitedly and twirls them around to walk in the opposite direction.

"The beach?" Donghyuck asks after a few seconds when he recognizes the path they're on.

Yukhei shakes his head. "No, no. I think the tide's coming in. But I found this really nice spot on my way down today, it's off the path but it's really pretty."

Donghyuck, the local boy, lets him natter on with only a few eye-rolls that Yukhei doesn't see, too wrapped up in explaining the geography and view to Donghyuck. It's sweet how enthusiastic he gets over the smallest things, and Donghyuck's heart trips over several beats when Yukhei's arm casually slips down to hold him by the waist instead. Neither of them acknowledges it and they walk on amiably.

 

"Oh _this_ spot," Donghyuck blurts. Yukhei, who's let go of him and is already a couple of steps ahead, turns, the excited expression on his face flickering before going out completely.

"You know it?"

Donghyuck dredges up a smile. "I was born and raised here, Yukhei. Obviously, I know it."

"You don't sound happy about it though," Yukhei points out and sits down heavily, back thumping against the conveniently placed rocks and legs stretching out endlessly in front of him. Gingerly Donghyuck sits down next to him, their thighs and calves bump together and Yukhei cuts to the chase and pulls him closer. Donghyuck tries and fails not to blush.

"It's just--" he stops, unsure of how to proceed, "I don't know it's sorta personal."

Yukhei's eyes widen. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I didn't mean t--"

"It's fine, it's fine," Donghyuck quickly cuts him off, "just as long as you don't mind me ranting about my weird-ass problems for ten years."

"I do not mind," Yukhei replies firmly.

"My dad," Donghyuck starts, "uh, he left my mom, like, about a month ago? Kind of out of the blue-- I mean not completely, I mean they'd been fighting, but no one thought that he'd just up and leave, but yeah. One morning he was just gone, most of his clothes, his car, our only car actually, all gone. We didn't hear from him for, like, four weeks and then he sent my mom a letter saying that he'd like to get a divorce and that he's staying with his parents for now. Turns out that he," a short bitter laugh slips past Donghyuck's lips, "that he was-- that he was sleeping with a lady from work. He didn't work here obviously. If he had the whole town would've known after like a week or something. Anyway yeah, so that's been a thing for the last month or so and it's just...he proposed to my mom here-- right on this spot and she used to tell me this story all the time and it's just-- it's weird I guess."

"Whoa, dude, I'm-- I'm sorry," Yukhei mumbles.

Donghyuck smiles down at the bouquet in his lap, absentmindedly fiddling with the ribbon. Oddly, he feels like crying. He hasn't cried in ages. "It's fine," he says hoarsely, "you couldn't have known."

"Has he, like, spoken to you since?" Yukhei asks softly.

"Only through his lawyer. His side of the family is better off than my mother's so he can, y'know, do all of that fancy stuff."

"Can I hug you?" Yukhei asks bluntly and Donghyuck's heart almost does a triple somersault out of his throat. 

Donghyuck feels like he should say no, stick to the weird image he's created but his heart  _hurts_. Yukhei's arms and expression are open, and Donghyuck lets himself trust. 

"S-sure," he croaks and Yukhei pulls him against his chest with not a second's hesitation.

 

\--

 

It's Yukhei who finds Donghyuck the next day. The party dragged on well into the early morning and the guests are tired, the staff is tired; it's a lethargic day. Renjun has a mark on the base of his throat and Jeno keeps disappearing mysteriously. Jungwoo is hungover and semi-permanently attached to Doyoung's side who doesn't even bother to pretend to look annoyed.

They sit in the staff room for a while, sharing a chocolate bar that Yukhei snatched from the breakfast bar.

"Wanna do something today?" Yukhei finally asks to break the silence.

"Don't you have to hang out with your parents or whatever? Family vacation and all that."

Yukhei swallows his bite of the chocolate bar and shakes his head. "Nah. I went hiking all day with them yesterday. Anyway, they're too tired to do anything today."

Donghyuck's licks a smudge of chocolate off his bottom lip and thrills in the way he can feel Yukhei's eyes track the movement. Donghyuck likes to think he's confident in most thing romantic, but this is new territory, it all is really, but he's good at lying to himself. His first and so far only kiss had been Jeno and it only happened because of a dare.

Yukhei is only a year older than Donghyuck, yet he seems confident. This confidence, charming and weirdly attractive as it might be, re-ignites the little spark of doubt in the back of Donghyuck's mind.

He knows he has to address it at some point, for his own sake, but it's hard even thinking about it. He doesn't want to ruin whatever tentative thing is growing between them. It's funny really, how attached he's become even though he was the one building walls everywhere at first. Now he's tearing them down faster than he built them.

"We can go into town I guess," Donghyuck proposes. "Have you been there yet?"

"We drove past it on our way here."

Donghyuck makes a scandalized noise and clasps a hand over his heart. "Unacceptable," he gasps and Yukhei laughs loud and unabashed. It's a spectacularly dumb laugh and Donghyuck's heart squirms.

"It's only about 10 minutes to my house on foot, do you think you'll cope?"

"I went hiking yesterday!"

Donghyuck rolls his eyes. "Whatever. You can have my dad's old bike and then we can cycle into town, there's a bus but the times are awkward so cycling is better." He pauses and then adds innocently, "Unless you can't cycle of course."

"Why do you think I can't walk or cycle?" Yukhei whines as Donghyuck gets up and heads for the door, stuffing the wrapper of the chocolate bar in his pocket.

Donghyuck gesticulates vaguely and says, "You're rich, you get driven everywhere."

"We're not _that_ rich," Yukhei corrects and follows him down a corridor back outside. "My parents are doctors or something, not millionaires."

"Hundred-aires then," Donghyuck insists stubbornly.

"That's not a word."

" _You're_ not a word. Shut up."

Yukhei laughs, tipping his head back in that strange, carefree way of his. He takes one large step to match two of Donghyuck's and drapes an arm around his shoulders.  

 

The town is as bustling and vibrant as ever. It barely counts as a town, it's small with small stone houses and twisting streets that lead everywhere but the place that you want to go. It's a coastal town and it wears this title with pride. There are tiny coffee houses shoehorned between butchers shops and fishmongers, at least three street vendors can be found on almost every street, even the smaller alleys. They sell cubes of toffee and salted caramel, strange fish-related snacks, little cakes and glazed fruit that make Yukhei's eyes grow at least three times their normal size.

He buys Donghyuck three wooden skewers of sugar glazed strawberries and tells him he's Donghyuck's "literal sugar-daddy now". Donghyuck threatens to stab in the throat with one of the skewers.

Donghyuck shows him the town hall with its weird domed, teal blue roof. The library, and the shelf where he, Jeno, Jaemin and Renjun carved their initials into the wood with a pocket knife stolen from Renjun's father.

He talks and explains and drags Yukhei all over town, doubts from earlier almost completely forgotten. Yukhei lets himself get dragged around with no complaints, he asks questions, exclaims at appropriate (and inappropriate) moments and bounds ahead in long, impossible strides when he sees something interesting.

When Donghyuck shows him the town school (a dinky red-brick building, hidden behind a wall and birch trees) and says, "I'm gonna graduate next year, can you believe?"

"That's cute," Yukhei replies, ruffling Donghyuck's hair.

He gets kicked in the shin for his troubles.

 

"This might sound weird but do you want to meet my mom?" Donghyuck asks suddenly.

They're sitting on a bench overlooking the surprisingly busy town-slash-market square. They've both got ice lollies, Yukhei's is watermelon and Donghyuck's is orange flavored. Yukhei bites his ice lollies apparently and Donghyuck's teeth hurt just from watching.

He chokes on a bite at Donghyuck's question and the bubble of doubt makes a comeback.

"You want _me_ to meet _your_ mom?" He asks, looking genuinely shocked.

Donghyuck looks him dead in the eye and says, "Yes, " very, very slowly.

"I thought you didn't like me," Yukhei grins, treading the line between happy and smug.

"Well, I obviously don't despise you," Donghyuck retorts.

"That's good to hear. You're not leading me on are you?" It's probably meant to be a light-hearted joke but Donghyuck's stomach drops.

How do you say, _"Yeah, I was originally planning on leading on, problem was that you're ridiculously cute and nice and now I think I might be sort of in love with you which is dumb because I've never been in love before and we've only known each other for about a week."_

You don't say it, that's what you do.

"Are _you_ leading me on?" Donghyuck counters instead, trying to keep his tone light-hearted. A tad of bitterness bleeds through, however, and Donghyuck watches with dread as Yukhei's brow creases.

"Why would you think that?"

Donghyuck mentally hits a wall. He can't even splutter or look indignant. He just blinks in shock and confusion and guilt. It's a confusing mix of emotions and Yukhei looking genuinely hurt by his assumption is just the icing on the cake.

"I-- I don't--" Donghyuck stutters, "I'm sorry."

Yukhei stays silent and Donghyuck doesn't think he's ever seen Yukhei so serious. It's strange and maybe in some alternate universe it would be kind of hot, but here, right now it's horrible. Guilt and his own fair share of hurt threaten to choke him up so he clears his throat a couple of times. The icy lolly is melting away in his hand but he can't bring himself to care.

"I-- I'm just scared. When you first started talking to me I thought you just wanted, y'know, a quick summer thing-- and hell, maybe you do-- and if you do I'm gonna tell you now that I'm not up for that. I can't do that. I couldn't then simply because I was too proud and I can't now because I like you too much and if this is just gonna be something for you to make your summer more interesting but will move on from once the summer's over then I can't-- then I can't be around you. I'm not gonna let you do that. But if for some reason you actually like me, like, like like me then...fuck, I don't know why you would, but if this means anything to you then-- I don't know, we can figure it out."

Donghyuck's put all his cards out on the table. Yukhei is staring at him, eyes wide but unreadable.

He scoots a little closer but Donghyuck scoots away, a whole other person could sit between them right now. Yukhei gets the message and stays on his side of the bench, although he doesn't look happy about it.

"Donghyuck," he says gently and it's weird hearing him say it, "I like you."

Donghyuck laughs, a broken ugly sound that makes Yukhei wince. He scoots closer again and this time Donghyuck doesn't move away.

"I like you so fucking much, since the first day we met, which I know-- I know-- sounds dumb and like something out of, like, a Nicholas Sparks book, but it's true. You were so cold and sorta mean I honestly thought you wanted nothing to do with me at first but I didn't want to just give up." He smiles and reaches out, catching Donghyuck's smaller hand in his huge one. "I'm super fucking happy that I didn't give up."

Donghyuck nods, still not trusting his voice to sound normal.

"I get where you were coming from and I'm not mad at you about it, in fact, I think it'll take some pretty serious shit for me to be mad at you. I can be scared of you, easy, you're frankly _terrifying_ sometimes, but you'd really have to do something messed up to make me mad. That's how much I like you."

"I'm sorry for thinking that you were a worse person than you actually are," Donghyuck finally manages to say. "It's just I've worked at that resort since I was 14 and I've seen it happen to other staff members and it's always horrible and humiliating for the person that's being left behind and I just didn't-- I don't want that."

"I would never do that," Yukhei says with finality and Donghyuck believes him.

"I know that now," he says with a watery smile.

"Can I hug you?"

"It's weird to ask that, just do it, if I don't like it I will definitely let you know," Donghyuck mutters with mock annoyance and lets himself be hauled against Yukhei's chest, where he buries his face in the soft, green cotton of his T-shirt.

"Y'know, I'd drag you all around the world with me," Yukhei says into Donghyuck's neck and he squirms. "Only if you wanted to, of course," he adds hastily and Donghyuck muffles a snort.

"Sounds fun," he murmurs.

"Actually," Yukhei says very matter-of-factly and Donghyuck groans, "lots of air travel is bad for you."

"And where'd you read that," Donghyuck mumbles lazily.

"My parents are doctors, I just _know_ this kind of stuff."

"You do realize I will only accept that as a valid excuse for your bullshit once a year, right?"

Yukhei just pulls him closer and Donghyuck can feel him grinning into the crook of his neck.

 

\--

 

Two weeks later they're standing in Donghyuck's kitchen. It's ridiculously warm, way too warm to actually spend time outside. They're baking a cake because that's obviously the only appropriate thing to do on a hot summer's day; stand in a warm kitchen with the oven heating up and the stove on.

The tiles that reach up to at least half of the wall are a warm, orangey, yellow. The rest of the walls are bare and crudely whitewashed. The window above the sink looks out into the front garden which in turn looks out onto the sea. It's a breathtaking view. A sprig of flowering almond sits in a blue enamel vase on the windowsill.

They're baking a honey cake. It's the only cake Donghyuck is completely confident in, it's easy to make and Yukhei apparently has never had it before, which Donghyuck thinks is unacceptable.

Donghyuck whisks around the kitchen with practiced ease and Yukhei tries to stay out of the way but Donghyuck eventually assigns Yukhei to stir the butter, sugar, honey mixture on the stove while he does the other stuff.

"When can I lick the spoon?" Is Yukhei's new motto and Donghyuck's threatened him at least 5 times now to cut it out.

"Just," Donghyuck sighs, "just stand there and look pretty."

"Aw, you think I'm pretty," Yukhei coos and bats his eyelashes. Donghyuck suppresses a laugh and goes back to weighing the flour. "I think you're pretty too," Yukhei adds and a laugh finally bubbles out of Donghyuck's throat.

"You _better_ ," he warns teasingly.

They work on in silence for a bit. The ocean crashes and sways lazily, stretching out endlessly in front of them till it melds with the horizon and becomes indistinguishable. There are pink, orange and yellow tulips painted on the glass patio door and the sun shines through it casting the living room and kitchen in a hazy, warm glow.

"How have real estate agents not taken this place away from you yet," Yukhei wonders aloud, moving the wooden spoon in the pan in distracted half-circles. "It's so," he struggles to find the right word, "quaint."

"Ooh, who'd you learn that word from," Donghyuck snarks.

"Your mom."

Donghyuck throws an eggshell at him.

"No, but for real," Yukhei tries again, "how the fuck do you still get to live here?"

"My great-grandparents on my mother's side owned this piece of land and they built this house. When they died they passed full ownership down to my grandparents and when they died it passed to my mother."

"Whoa."

"There have been some greasy guys who've tried pushing my mom into selling but I'm pretty sure I once heard her say she'd rather throw herself of these cliffs than sell this house and that usually scares them off."

"The more I get to know your mom the more she sounds like you," Yukhei grins.

"Yeah well, my dad's a cheating scumbag so I'm glad to hear that."

Yukhei sighs, loudly. "Why you gotta twist my words like that."

Donghyuck turns, smiling apologetically. "Sorry," he mutters and Yukhei vigorously waves him off with a grin and a "No worries."

 

They both stare down at the honey gold batter in the pan.

"So..." Yukhei says slowly, "can we, like, eat it now?"

Donghyuck peers up at him to check if he's kidding or not. He's not. Donghyuck sighs. "I mean technically? But you might get salmonella which can, like, kill you and stuff so I don't know."

They both look down at the batter again.

"One teaspoon won't hurt right?"

Donghyuck, whose resolve is also crumbling, shrugs. "Eh, sure. Why not."

 

The cake is in the oven and Donghyuck and Yukhei have retreated out onto the porch. It's hot, stiflingly so, but the porch roof shields them from the worst of it. Yukhei's hair is already starting to bleach due to the sun and the sea water. They sit barefoot, knees knocking together and share a big glass of iced lemonade. Only the ocean underlines their comfortable silence.

A warm, dry breeze blows in from the sea and they both instinctively lean into it.

"What are you gonna do when the summer's over?" Donghyuck suddenly asks into the silence. Worry laces his tone and Yukhei looks at him gaze as soft as the fine sand on the beach.

"I'm eighteen," he says like it solves and explains everything.

"And I'm seventeen I'm glad we talked," Donghyuck snaps, but not with his usual heart. He's genuinely worried.

"I'll stay."

Donghyuck blinks out at the ocean. His cheeks are flushed from the heat and maybe also something else.

"You'll stay," he repeats, testing the words out on his tongue.

"My parents-- they're cool parents, and they like you and love your mom, so they won't object. I have money and I can work while you finish school."

Donghyuck laughs, it sounds a bit delirious even to his own ears and claps a hand over his mouth. "For real?" He asks through his fingers.

"Yeah, man."

"Don't _man_ me this is a heartfelt situation."

"I'll stay. It's gonna be fine, and when you finish sch--"

"Okay! That's enough future talk for today!" Donghyuck interrupts and Yukhei throws his head back and laughs.

"Y'know when I was your age--" he starts in a bad impression of an old man and Donghyuck tries to push him off the porch steps.

Their laughter dies down after a minute or two and the ocean roars and crashes against the cliffs below.

Suddenly Yukhei gets up, skipping the three steps of the porch in one steady jump. He walks a couple of feet off the gravel path out onto the lawn and leans down to pluck something.

"Look!" He cries out triumphantly and presents Donghyuck with a small white and pink clover.

"A clover," Donghyuck says, confused. Yukhei laughs and ruffles his hair before sitting back down again.

"Look at me," he murmurs and the sudden change of tone makes a shiver run down Donghyuck's spine. He turns to face Yukhei who's looking down at him with such concentration and intensity that a flush, that has nothing to do with the summer heat, rises up into Donghyuck's cheeks.

He realizes a little numbly that Yukhei's hands are almost as big as his whole face.

Yukhei cups his cheek and jaw with one hand and tips Donghyuck's head to the side, then he gently tucks the clover behind his ear, rights Donghyuck's face and admires his handiwork with a self-satisfied smile.

Donghyuck surges forward in a sudden burst of courage, clumsily pressing his mouth against Yukhei's who yelps, surprised. Terrified he made a mistake Donghyuck tries to move away again, but both of Yukhei's hands come up to cup his cheek and the back of his neck and he guides Donghyuck's mouth back against his own. His lips are soft and taste vaguely like honey and sugar and slowly Donghyuck begins to relax again.

Donghyuck is a quick learner and he soon gets the general gist of it. He feels Yukhei smile against his lips when he responds eagerly and presses forward more, hands coming up to clutch at Yukhei's upper arms as the kiss deepens and Yukhei half drags him into his lap.

He kisses away any doubt still lingering in the recesses of Donghyuck's mind, he kisses him until Donghyuck's gasping against his mouth.

Yukhei kisses him with all the love under the sun and Donghyuck kisses him with twice as much.

At the horizon, the ocean kisses the sky in celebration.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> guess who jumped on the hyuckhei train? itsa me 
> 
> hope you liked it!! I will most likely write more hyuckhei in the future because I /really/ enjoyed writing this, like Highkey loved doing this!! ANYWAY!! hope y'all have a lovely day/night!! 
> 
> you can find me on [twt](https://twitter.com/saddermachine) and [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/saddermachine)  
> if you've got any questions you can hmu on [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/saddermachine)  
> (thank you for reading!!)


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